


Day 083

by Josh_the_Bard



Series: A Year in Kirkwall [83]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age II
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-24
Updated: 2020-03-24
Packaged: 2021-02-28 17:07:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 754
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23290669
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Josh_the_Bard/pseuds/Josh_the_Bard
Series: A Year in Kirkwall [83]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1589257
Kudos: 1





	Day 083

Rhatigan was getting restless. Several of his men had reported being tailed or scrutinized more than normal. Scrutiny was normally the cost of doing business but normally it was the city guard or the templars who watched what his men reported were clearly neither of these. The Cotary knew better than to muscle in on the lyrium trade so Rhatigan had no idea who it could be. A straight up gang war would have been better than dealing with a new, shadowy enemy. Better for Rhatigan’s disposition too, he had gone too long without a good fight.

Rhatigan was drawing up plans to give each of his men a trail to catch whoever was shadowing them when a human stroked into hours office bold as brass. She had the dark complexion of the Rivani and the arrogant stride of a noble. If he was lucky, this would be about business. 

“What happened to my guards?” He asked. She flashed him a shit-eating grin. 

“They thought you would like to hear me out,” She said. “I am looking to make a very large purchase.”

“Do I have you to thank for my men spilling their trousers all day? Your men are not very subtle.”

“They are new,” She said with a shrug. “I will sock thier pay and pass my savings on to you.”

“How much are you looking to buy?” Rhatigan asked. Usually when a noble came by, well normally they didn’t. Usually they sent a representative to pick up some lyrium for their bastard mage-child or private army of mages or whatever. Whoever this human was, she either was not worried about being noticed or she didn’t trust anyone to be her proxy.

“I’m not looking for lyrium today.”

Rhatigan cocked an eyebrow at that. “Perhaps you have been misinformed about who we are.”

“Not at all,” the woman said. “I am looking for an artifact that you acquired a few months back, during the Qunari attack.”

How did she know about that? He had been sure no one but his men had been left alive when they recovered it. Rhatigan’s plan has been to hold it in reserve until Gerav could figure out how the sodding thing worked. The Qunari had used it when Orsino and the mages came to oppose them. Whatever it did had killed all the mages, save Orsino. A weapon like that was too valuable to sell. 

“I won’t insult you,” he said, “by swearing that you are mistaken. However, the item you seek has already been sold.”

“I see,” said the human. “And to whom have you sold this item?”

Rhatigan hadn't had a lie prepared and hesitated a moment too long. He saw the realization dawn in the human’s eyes.

Rhatigan didn’t give her the chance to call his bluff. He kicked his desk towards her. She reacted quickly, vaulting the desk and colliding with Rhatigan, sending them both to the ground. The human landed on top and had two daggers drawn before Rhatigan could collect his senses. She drove a knife fore his neck but the dwarf got a hand up in time to catch the attack. The blade went through his hand and Rhatigan closed his fingers over the hilt. In his blood rage, the pain barely registered. His disregard for his own wellbeing gave his opponent just enough pause to lose all the advantage she had by being on top. Rhatigan popped his hips up, knocking her off balance. He yanked hard with his impaled hand, sending her crashing down to the floor. 

In desperation she lashed out with her other blade and Rhatigan caught that attack as well, this time he managed to catch her by the wrist, sparring his hand. Now he was on top, and had neutralized both her weapons. The human struggled but Rhatigan had several stone on her. Before she could try anything sneaky, he dropped his forehead onto the bridge of her nose, shattering it and stunning the human. He repeated the action over and over until the woman had stopped moving. Then he grabbed her head with his uninjured hand and slammed it into the floor several more times just to be sure.

When he stood he realized how dizzy the repeated ehadblows had made him. He stumbled out his door, cursing the stupidity of his guards for letting that woman in. The way she moved: she was no noble.

“Gerav!” Rhatigan shouted. “Get your project and pack it up. We need to move base now!”


End file.
